Riley is a good girl. In fact, she is such a good girl that Uncle Jack have let her wander around the beautiful city of Brockton Bay. Even if she cannot practice her art in this city, she can still search for some subjects for her beautiful creations. After all, biological modification is the most splendid form of art.

She can only smile at the face of foolish Dragon. After all, it's not like she isn't capable of cloning. So right now, the group is currently being tracked in New Orleans while the rest of the group are currently camping outside the city, waiting to announce their arrival to the happily-ignorant people. Auntie Shatter always have fun on the PHO and decided to "point" their happy group at Brockton Bay. Riley hopes that not too many people will try to leave - after all, good audience members always stay for the whole show.

She might as well also shop around the city for some biomass. Uncle Jack has always expressed distaste for those who try to wreck their brains with drugs. And there are so many of these people in this city. Riley hops into an alley to take some, which she stores into one of her body compartments. She went along her way after silencing those naughty screams. They were starting to be mixed in with curses, and those aren't good.

Continuing down the street, Riley notices a giggling high schooler carrying a metal cylinder. How she managed to do this without the PRT is interesting, but Riley doesn't care. After all, maybe she now has a second candidate to poor Panacea. This girl is probably a Tinker like her, even better. Ooo, a great idea! She should totally pick her brain, literally. After all, one can learn plenty from one's mind.

Riley walks behind the tall girl in a nonchalant pace. After all, it's not like anyone can defeat the S-class Bonesaw. The girl ducks into the alleyway and Riley follows. So what that the girl noticed, it's not like RIley cannot deal with one girl, especially with the microscope spiders that RIley has on her skin right now. If not that, she has plenty of plagues under her skin to release.

As Riley walks into the dark alley, all of her spiders dropped! Even herself! Is there an airborne paralytic somewhere? She can't even trigger any of her plague deposits. How is that even possible? She is supposed to be the unparalleled biotinker, so how did a simple paralytic catch h-!

-0-

Taylor's POV:

Huh, is that Bonesaw? Neat. Hopefully my poison is capable of destroying the little bitch's plagues. I heard that one of those forced a quarantine on Madison when Bonesaw decided to throw a flesh-eating plague into the mix after the Simurgh attacked. Eh, I have my own cocktail of drugs that are capable of ripping apart the bonds between phospholipids. I spat out a few liters of the stuff over the lower body of Bonesaw, watching impassively as the body quickly collapses into a mess of proteins and other detritus.

Meh, I get used to that kind of thing after you ate the same toxin to store it within you. And wasn't that fun losing almost my entire mouth from the couple of drops drop before it was fully processed. Luckily, I was able to use the same antibody that my body was able to produce and stop the contamination and create a miracle drug to restore my tongue back to its former condition, sure my tongue is now tinged purple in certain light and is incapable of tasting sweet, but at least I have it back. And I prefer sour food anyway.

To be honest, I am just a little sad at not having a proper test subject, especially for such a dangerous parahuman like Bonesaw. After all, nobody will complain about the disappearance of one of the worst supervillains today. I still have the head though. And I do have this jar of liquid preservatives I was meaning to use. Ah ha! I now have a test subject for this substance. I carefully dip the head into the solution before sealing the lid. I'm so glad that my classification somehow manages to also include the containment of poisons.

To be honest, I like my power in totality, even if it caused my brain to wither a bit. If you are a scientist, you have to test somethings on yourself, especially if you can become immune to them. As I look at the jar, I ponder on what else I can use this for. Oh wait, Bonesaw has a Corona Pollentia that is linked to her very own Shadow. Maybe I can develop a drug that can somehow breach that interdimensional boundary. And then, my Shadow can cannibalize that Shadow so I can create more. After all, I've used my classification for more weirder applications.

I hold the container under my shoulder and carefully spat out some of my more photo reflective acids onto it. It is capable of being used to dissolving steel, so I used the quick-drying one. My container may not have steel components in it, but osmium, taken from fountain pen tips, can still slightly react with the ridiculously strong acid. Tinker bullshit indeed.

With the container, I exit the alleyway, only looking behind me to confirm that my cleaning solutions (which double as gastrointestinal cleaner) have finally finished scouring the alleyway. Hey, now that alleyway is one of the most cleanest alleyways in Brockton Bay. I need a snack after that interesting situation.

I open a small box, discreetly hiding the label in my hands, and pop a small cube of bright blue rat poison into my mouth. They taste sour that gave me a slight pucker to the lips. However, I know that not many people like seeing people eating rat poison, even if they are unharmed. So, I cannot have this treat that often in the public. It's like sneaking drugs around, which I guess it is.

Usually, Tinkers are caught easily by the Overwatch Initiative set up by the government when those desperate tinkers attempt to find materials for their Tinkertech. But for me, who is homeschooled, I can just order chemicals from home science kit stores and can literally use a meth lab as my lab. Such simplicity. I can walk into a Merchant operation and just filch one of their equipment and I would have an easy lab. In fact, I can just buy some commercial cleaners and insecticides and I can produce an insane variety in poisons, toxins, drugs, and solutions. I bought my first meth lab by walking into a drug store in Merchant Territory while wearing trashy clothing and just bought one. Apparently, the gang has an initiative for new drug producers, even if it'll bump into their own finances.

In addition, I don't even have to spend any money to duplicate any of the dangerous concoctions I create. All I need is to eat my four basic food groups after ingesting at least 5 mL of the poison: proteins, sugar, fat, and poison of any kind, the more exotic the better.

Cough, cough. I digress. If I want to be a hero- and I still want to - then I'll need a costume. Maybe, if I can somehow consume Bonesaw's Shadow, then I may be able to create a symbiotic suit…. that will probably dissolve me skin-down due to my own Shadow. I heard that there is a rogue willing to fabricat costumes for any cape, no questions asked. That'll work, I did have a couple hundred of dollars that I "confiscated" from raiding Merchant labs or drug deals. I needed the chemicals as well anyways.

The few times I went out, I was discussed about on the PHO about. Apparently, one of the names bandied about was Alchemyst. To be honest, the names being tossed around were quite flattering, seeing as I only used paralytics and acids used to dissolve door locks. In addition, I don't really need to use my Blaster Shadow, seeing as I can package my poisons into grenades. The name Alchemyst is something that misleads while also giving a general idea of what my power is. The forums had plenty of more darker names, such as Shrike, Biohazard, and Cyanide. So yeah, Alchemyst is the better of the options.

Where was I? Ah, yes… costumes. Let's go to Parian! I stash the brain container in one of my hidey-holes and pull out some clothing. Yes, I have small stash sites around the docks. I check my wallet and see the 1500$ that I have stuffed into it. It's not like pickpockets will recklessly grasp into a woman's bra, and I'm not above stashing my goods into my goods. Apparently, the Merchants makes a killing selling drugs. No puns intended.

I change into form-fitting clothes and tied my hair into a hair bun. Nobody will expect Taylor Hebert to wear such clothing or look like that. I look into the cracked and dirty mirror that I left in this room. I just feel sad that I cannot dose myself with body-altering drugs in order to change my appearance, seeing as my body will just develop antibodies or a resistance to any kind of solution with just a brief instance of contact. Eh, I can throw on a domino mask to mask my face. At least my ass looks nice. Probably from all the running. I nod to myself and leave. I can do civil, just don't dwell into my more mad ideas and I shall be okay for my interactions with the rogue.

I stride across the street into Parian's dollhouse of a shop. And yes, I have a hidey-hole skirting that close to Parian's shop and therefore, Empire and ABB territory. I can take them, hopefully. I walk into the shop and the tell-tale chime of a bell rang clear throughout the shop. She walks to me from behind the counter, some spools of cloth lazily following behind her. Parian's doll-like mask looks at me in vague interest, then resignation.

"Yes, how can I help you?" she asks as she scans my masked face, already knowing that I am a cape, judging from the resigned expression on her face. She probably guessed that I am a cape from the fact that she does alot of anonymous costume creation. "Are you another recruiter from the gangs?"

I shake my head left to right.

"No. No." I deny, "I just need a costume. I have 1500 dollars to spend and I realize that if I want to continue hero-ing as an independent, I need a better costume."

She relaxes and signs. "Oh, business then." She takes a seat by a conveniently placed chair and motions for me to do the same. I look around the room, pulling a chair to in front of the seamstress cape.

"What kind of costume do you want?" she asks as she fishes out a notepad and a pen from the recesses of her costume. I take a small glance around the shop, looking at various mannequins with costumes strewn around the shop.

"I need something that is reminiscent of an alchemist." She immediately brightens up.

"Oh. The PHO forums were buzzing for a bit about a new hero in Brockton Bay. I heard that there was a discussion on how long before the gangs will….. Oh, that is poor taste." she coughs into her hand. At least she didn't question my powerset. That's good. She continues to sketch a drawing into the notepad as a measuring tape orbit around me. She gets up at random intervals and pace around me, muttering about aesthetics and armoring.

"Okay." She claps as she shows me the rough design. There is a large brim hat, with a black peacock feather, similar to that of a witch's hat. I can hide a poisoned shiv or something in that feather. The hat is comprised of pigmented tinker-tech leather, according to her annotations. Apparently, there is a tinker rogue that specializes in leather fabrications. Good enough. A dark green bandolier is slung lazily across the waist but still hooked onto the costume. There is also something akin to a colombina mask. I made a slight alteration to add a biohazard symbol by the right eye. It is a half-mask that can allow attachments and has a slightly corroded look to it. The costume is finished off by an armored tunic and a flared skirt with the same color theme. There are steel-toed flats to bottom out the arrangement. Not a bad look, I guess. But I'm not the most fashionable girl, so I cannot really judge.

"Hmm, how much for this? And can I add a pair of fingerless leather gloves with knuckles and a pouch?" I ask, trying to imagine what the costume looks on me.

"It is surprisingly cheap. The only expensive thing is purchasing the armoring and the tinker leather. So, it'll only cost about 900$." she counts in her head for a bit, "For the gloves, I would say that will cost about 150$. In total, you'll need to pay 1097.25$" I whistle, internally balking at the sheer price. I also need a duplicate of the costume.

"Hmm, can I order one and place another on hold?" I inquire as I start to pull out the wallet from between my breasts. She nods in acknowledgement, whether at my methods of safekeeping or my request.

"That'll be fine, just pay for the second one within a month and you'll have a pair." She answers as she accepts the $1100 from me. She hands me 2 dollars and 3 quarters.

"Can you make the color scheme a more olive green and some leather pouches?" I add realizing that I need to specify the color scheme, which was already leaning to a more dark green coloring.

She taps the bottom of her chin. "I'll add two pockets free of charge. Your costume will be ready in a week." Huh, that's fast service. Well, times up. I don't feel like socializing with people now.

"Well, Have a good day, madame." I nod in thanks with a grin and a mirthful twinkle in my eyes as I leave the shop. I nonchalantly walk back to my hidey-hole room as I check off the rest of my chores. Aww, I have to buy groceries. Eh, might as well do that while going back home.

Bonesaw's brain is dutifully waiting for me, just as I have left it. Lucky that I remembered to tag it, or I would've forgotten where it is. I pick it up and hastily pull on my baggy clothes and muss my hair, having quickly stripped my other clothes. The mask comes off as I dump all of the clothes into a small cabinet. I lock the door with the fabricated key. Well one generated from an ingenious solution of corrosive materials and metals.

Seeing as I'm homeschooled, all I have to do is claim that I've been at the library and Dad would believe me. Meh, I'm smart enough to take the GED while now, but that's not my primary concern. Let's go home… after I go buy the food.

I walk into a grocers located in Empire territory, well the outskirts, and proceed to buy the essential food, along with more commercial bleach.

"Heya, missy." The grocer frowns as he looks up and down at me. I am probably too ugly for him, by my baggy clothes and heavy glasses. Ha, ugly for the win! "That's all you need for today?"

I nod as I start to pull dollars to pay for the produce and meats.

"Have you heard that Hookwolf is apparently starting to dip his hands into drugs?" the grocer remarks in astonishment. Probably unconcerned about the one white girl he meets. "Man, I heard that they are some high-quality goods as well."

My head whips up. If they're of good quality, then maybe I can create a more purer aerosol hallucogenic. "Where?"

"Looking to get hooked up?" he asks with a coy expression, "Apparently, it's going around this part of the territory. Do you wanna join the boys and I for some tasting?"

I inwardly grimace and respond, "No. I prefer to have them in isolation."

"Huh, you're one of them." he states as he finishes checking out the food, "Have a nice day, miss." He waves me away as I leave. Now, it's time to go home.

Weaving through the streets of the good 'ol Bay, my Shadow helpfully provides me ideas to accessing Bonesaw's cute Shadow. However, I'm going to need a hyperdense material, which I don't have access to. Well, I'll file the idea for later. The preservative should be capable of keeping the brain in pristine condition while I ponder on a solution. It's not like I need Bonesaw's personality, only the programming of her dead Shadow.

I manage to surprisingly return home unaccosted. I take out the house key and insert it into the lock, opening the door. I breathe in the house air, slightly tainted with a coppery smell. I frown. Normally I keep my experiments well sealed, so there is something else in the house releasing that.

"I'm home!" I shout into the empty abode. Dad is probably still at work. Why was I worried about an excuse again? I drop the groceries onto the dining room table. Carefully placing the meats and produce into the refrigerator. After that chore, I plod down to the basement and set the container down on a dusty table by the corner. I rub the palms of my hand together. Let's go tinker some more shit up. I remove all of my clothes, leaving me naked as the day I am born. When I have access to radiation suits, I'll be able to keep my clothes on under it, but for now, my skin is resistant to radioactive and caustic materials that are in my workshop. I brush aside a Fall-out Boy Poster and crawl through a small opening in the concrete wall of the basement.

I had to set up large sheets of lead in order to create a proper nuclear lab. I feel lucky that the tinkering with metals also fall under the purview of my Shadow. That is because it allows the tinker manipulation of "soft" metals that are usually highly toxic in small quantities inside the body, apparently I cannot tinker with gold even if any heavy metal is sufficiently toxic when accumulated in the body. Sigh, my Shadow cannot work on everything.

There is a reason why I have a nuclear lab. I accidently consumed some radium from old illuminating clocks left in the junkyard and realized that my body literally accepted the metal. I literally panicked when I realized that I consumed radioactive material, buying a geiger counter and shoving the probe almost into my mouth. Apparently, the radiation was easily neutralized by the medical miracle that is my body. My body probably abstractly took ionizing radiation's ability to degrade and destroy DNA as a form of toxin and consumed it. If I were to sell my body's antibodies or whatever agent that is protecting me from radiation's deleterious effects, I'll probably be able to live comfortably for my entire life. I'm not about that life.

The reason that I am naked is that my body will not be irritated by the radioactive dust in the air, while my clothes will have the radioactive particles still clinging onto it, which will probably kill people around me. So, that's a no go. Anyway, I have a poison that is capable of consuming dust, only dust, and evaporate into a harmless mixture of Nitrogen and Arsenic….. mostly. I think that there some other toxic chemicals within it, but I don't care about it seeing as I'm immune to virtually all toxins at this point.

I pushed my way through multiple sheets of lead and a set of wooden doors coated with a caustic material capable of somehow eating gamma radiation. I bet any nuclear reactor facility will pay an arm and a leg for that. The only issue is that the solution does refract the radiation into ultraviolet radiation, so I also get a good sun-tan from it. To be honest, at least the sun can still trigger the natural production of Vitamin D so that I'm not a vampire. Anyway, what I'm saying is that I take safety very importantly. I even had geiger counters littered in important points of the house and a non-volatile solution that reacts in the presence of aerosol toxins by glowing. As long as Dad doesn't touch it, seeing as it dissolves skin upon contact.

Wait just a bit. I have some depleted uranium that I ripped from discarded medical equipment. Can I derive a hyperdense material from it? Maybe, but I'll still need a lot of energy to produce it….. Sigh, back to the drawing board. Wait, a black box system capable of concentrating gamma radiation to cause an event horizon that I can maybe use to open a Einstein-Rosen Bridge if I have an AI capable of calculating the arithmetic necessary to maintain the ridiculous bridge. That… is asking for a lot, seeing that it will mean that I need a programming tinker to draft up a calculator program. This is going to be hard.

I deposit Bonesaw's brain into a lead-lined box in the less radioactive area of my lab, where my more mundane chemicals are stored and concocted. I want to create a chemical capable of eating through only concrete. I slip on an apron and a pair of lab goggles, can't forget about safety. Let's see, it should be simple. I start to mindlessly pour vials of liquid chemicals together.

I look at the clock, 5:00 PM. Dad is going home in an hour. I look down at my flask filled with a bright purple solution stored within it. That should be able to corrode concrete into almost 1/2500 of its size with about 0.05% of the concrete's volume. I love Tinker bullshit. I swallow the sour solution, enjoying the slight zing in it as I gulp it down my throat. Well, time to cook.

I remove my safety equipment and turn off the various lab equipment, storing the plexiglass flasks in a cardboard box. I walk through the small base and crawl through the small crawl space out the poster. I swing the poster back over the hole and brush myself off. I take a flask of my dust-eating solution and splash it over myself. That should take care of the radioactive dust. I, still in my naked glory, walk up the stairs to reach the bathroom so that I can truly shower myself. Well then, time to cook that Lasagna!

-0-

"Hey, Taylor. I'm home." Dad calls out as I finish garnishing the lasagna. I may specialize in the creation of poisonous chemicals, but that doesn't mean that I can cook a mean pasta dish. After all, chemistry can translate to cooking, just not as congruously. Oh well, the lasagna looks good, so that's all that matters.

"I have lasagna on the table." I reply as I tear off the oven mitts and place silverware and plates on the table.

"Oh, lasagna." He remarks as he places his briefcase by the dinner chair. Using his knife, he cuts the dish and scoops up a healthy portion of the dish. I do the same and we both sit down, eating the dish that I concocted. I hope that some of the flavoring that I used isn't too poisonous.

"So how was your day, Taylor?" Dad remarks between bites and I launch into a diatribe about studying and talking to a cute, blonde stranger.

After a lengthy discussion about what I have to study and my GED, the lasagna is all devoured and he takes it upon himself to wash the dishes. "Well. I'm going upstairs to sleep." Taylor mutters as she walks up the stairs.

"Good night." Dad smiles tiredly as he starts to take out paperwork from the battered briefcase. Taylor pauses, locking the door behind her before pulling on a domino mask and a black hoodie, time to confiscate some drugs. Wait… why was Bonesaw in Brockton Bay? Does that mean that the Slaughterhouse is coming? Aw phooey!

-0-

Look at that. A story. Something that I doubt that I'll post frequently. Meh, it's not like anyone can work against it. I had the flu last week and projects were just piling onto my ass, so that was fun. Anyway, hope this was all right. As you can see, there is a slight OOC on Taylor and a slight AU modification in that S9 is visiting quite earlier. Meh, don't really care. Honestly, this is going to be an awkward update schedule. Also, can you guys see the inspirations and what her alt!power actually is? I hope so. Well then,

Tata!